Debriefing a Training Game / Activity? – Get a few tips here

“Debriefing is extremely important”- most experienced trainers tell us. But very few of these trainers explain - Why debriefing is important? or What it involves? or How to Debrief?
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What is “Debriefing a Training Game/Activity”?
Debriefing is the facilitation of learning from an experience, example, training game, activity, video, assessment questionnaire, etc. Debriefing is used to assist learning. During a Debrief session, participants are fully engaged in the learning process and have influence over its direction. The participants re-live the experience being processed and is communicated through words.
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Role of a Trainer in a “Debriefing” session
A Trainer performs the role of a facilitator who ‘guides’ the participants through the learning journey. As a Trainer, you should have a complete sequence of questions that create a suitable flow and direction for learning to happen. Sequence and Flow is the key to a Debriefing session. I know many experienced trainers in the domain of Experiential Learning have a ready list of questions for every game that they have rehearsed over-and-over again. However, managing the Debriefing session on the floor, requires skill.

1. Have clearly defined objectives (the end state) for a debriefing session.
2. Have a starting point - start with ‘Action Replay’. Ask one participant to narrate the experience. Invite other participants to build on to the details.
3. Catch ‘Ripples in the pond’ – invite participants to discuss their learning from experiences and build-up on the ideas.
4. Ask participants to relate to the learning to past, present and future perspectives on their job.
5. Participants learning from positive experience as well as from mistakes. Encourage participants to re-live the positive and negative experiences, while building on the learning. However, encourage participants to take the learning from a negative experience but leave the experience behind.
6. In the end of a debriefing session, connect the learning to a bigger world.
7. Avoid a situation of ‘Paralysis by Analysis’ – the key is to derive the learning and not go into the nitty-gritty of analysis.
8. Avoid post-mortems – they produce negative energy that is draining.